Have we got a treat for you, ModernMoms! Amy Kellyer Laird, the Beauty Director of Allure magazine, gave us a few minutes of her busy day to answer a couple questions that are useful to moms everywhere. In addition to giving us some tips for enhancing our natural gorgeousness, the beauty maven mentioned that Olay, Pantene, Secret, and Venus have won more Best of Beauty awards in the past decade than any other brands in their respective categories–wow! I guess she knows what she’s talking about when she recommends this kind of stuff. Read on to unlock with beauty-smart lady’s secrets!

What’s your best beauty trick?

Line the lower inner rims of your eyes with black pencil–it instantly defines your eyes in like three seconds. (My current fave is Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil in Onyx.) Plus, you really need no skill to pull it off–just make sure that your rims aren’t wet; if they are, dry them first with a cotton swab.

We’re all busy moms. What’s the best way to keep our beauty routines quick and easy?

I completely understand–I’m a mom too (my son, Mack, is almost two). You don’t need tons of makeup to look pulled together. Here’s what I use on hectic mornings: Tinted moisturizer to even out my skin tone, with a light dusting of translucent powder to mattify shine (I love Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder and Shiseido Makeup Translucent Pressed Powder), then rosy cream blush on my cheeks, blended toward the temples. Dust taupe eyeshadow over your lids, then sweep on black mascara that has plastic (versus traditional) bristles–it’s practically goofproof because the bristles completely prevent clumping (I’m a big fan of Cover Girl LashBlastLength Mascara). Finally: tinted lip balm. Fresh’s Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15 is universally flattering.

What is the best piece of beauty advice you’ve ever received?

That sunscreen is the best anti-aging product. As a beauty editor, this is beat into your head over and over by dermatologists–and it’s so true. It’s much easier to prevent skin problems than to reverse them.